If you’re considering some professional support for your wedding, you may be wondering how much does a UK wedding planner cost?

Here I will talk you through the typical pricing systems to give you a better idea of what to expect.
Most planners, myself included, offer various services from full or partial planning through to on the day wedding management or even virtual appointments. These services will be priced according to the amount of time, scale, and complexity of the event. It’s important to note that a planner’s cost is not just a reflection of the time taken to plan a wedding (on average between 200-300 hours), it also takes into account the planner’s experience, training, business costs, geographical location and any assistants that are hired to help on the big day.

Full Wedding Planning

Full wedding planning is the most comprehensive service you can book and includes every element of your event (venue and supplier sourcing, regular meetings, site visits, all administration, design and décor as well as manging the budget, to name just a few of the tasks involved) it also includes the planner’s management on the day itself. Full planning is typically charged through a percentage system. The planner will charge a percentage of the wedding budget, usually between 10-15%. The percentage fee reflects the amount of work involved in creating your occasion, with larger wedding budgets typically involving many more hours, meetings, design elements, set up and supplier liaisons to ensure you have your dream wedding.

As a planner, I always ensure that my clients know exactly what they are paying for. If the budget increases or decreases the planner’s fee will vary, but as the planning progresses you should always be kept up to date about the total cost and you will know that it will be the fixed percentage. It’s likely there will be exclusions from the fee, for example, rings, accessories and outfits, so ask your planner if there is anything that is not included in the percentage fee (and therefore makes your planner’s fee smaller). Most planners also have a minimum fee to ensure their time and work is compensated if they are planning with a smaller budget. Remember, a wedding planner’s fee is not their take home profit, most are self-employed and have the overheads of running a business too.

Partial Wedding Planning

If you have planned some elements of the wedding yourself - but would like to hire a planner, you may be wondering how much does a wedding planner cost in this instance? Partial planning is an incredibly flexible service, created around your exact requirements. Usually, a couple has started some of the planning themselves and then seeks support. This could mean that they have found the venue and caterer but want help with everything else or perhaps they’ve nearly completed the planning but would like someone to source the final few suppliers and take over guest RSVP’s. Partial planning includes on the day wedding management too.

Partial planning is a bespoke service designed specifically for each couple so it has bespoke pricing, which is a fixed fee. Following a discovery call to find out more about your plans so far and what you would like support with, the planner will send you a bespoke quote. Along with the quote the planner should also include information about what is and what is not included to ensure you are on the same page. You can expect the fee to be less than full planning and more than wedding day management.

Wedding Day Management

Wedding day management (also called on the day coordination) is a service for couples that have planned their wedding themselves but on the day itself would like to hand over the reins to a professional. The planner will typically meet with you 4-6 weeks before the wedding to discuss the details. The planner and will then contact all the suppliers involved in the wedding and ensure that timelines are firmly in place. On the day, they will be there to will ensure that your timelines run to schedule, your décor is executed to perfection and your plans are delivered flawlessly. Most reputable wedding planners charge a fixed fee for this service with prices ranging from £900 - £1,600. When enquiring about wedding day management ask if there is a set number of hours included or if the planner will be there for the entirety of your event.

Virtual Appointments and Other Services

Here at Amie Jackson Weddings & Events I also offer virtual wedding Planning services. This is a service for couples who would like some help planning their wedding through regular virtual meet ups or on an ad-hoc basis. Most planners charge an hourly rate for this service and some will specify that you must book a certain number of hours or use the sessions within a certain timeframe. I charge £100 per hourly meeting and you can book a one-off session to ask questions and gain advice or you can book regular appointments.

Often wedding planners will accommodate requests for a certain aspect of their services such as venue sourcing, or design and styling only. This service is given a bespoke fee depending on the size, scale, and scope of the event so don’t be afraid to ask how much does a wedding planner cost for the specific service needed.

For more details about the types of wedding planning support, view my services menu here.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about what’s it’s like to work with a wedding planner, why not book a relaxed, no obligation discovery call to chat more about your plans so far? You can get in touch here.